Horse-detacher



(No Model.)

r E. HAYS.

HORSE DETAGHER'. v

Patented July 28, 1891.

FIGI.

Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllv In' lil 1iillllllllllllll I IA, mlllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllHlH FIG.H-

'me lows Prrsns co., moro-umu.. wAsmNm'oN, n. c. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAH HAYS, OF VARSAV, INDIANA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,816, dated July 28,1891.

Application filed January 17, 1891. lSerial No. 378,147. (No model.)

in the art to which they appertain to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to that class of devices by means of whichhorses maybe detached from vehicles by the occupants thereof in case ofa runaway or other accident; and

the object of my invention is to provide a simpler, more economical, andat the same time more effective device than has heretofore beenconstructed for this purpose.

To this end my invention consists, principally, of' constructingwhiiiletrees and holdbacks with compressed-air cylinders, in whichsuitable pistons operate to control the whifiietree and holdback-hooks.

My invention consists of other features of novelty, which will behereinafter fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure I is a plan View of a portion ot' a vehiclewith my improvements applied thereto. Fig. II is a rear elevation of thesingletree. Fig. III is a longitudinal section of the same, taken on theline III III ot` Fig. II. Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of' theholdback, taken on the line IV IV of Fig. I'.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the severalviews.

A represents the body, B the shafts, and C the wheels, of the frontportion of a vehicle.

D is the whiifletree, centrally pivoted at d to the cross-piece Z) ofthe shafts in the customary manner. The whiffletree is constructed of ametallic cylindrical piece having a smooth central bore, screw-caps D',fitted to the ends and having perforations d', and keepers D2, attachedto the caps and provided with perforations cl2.

E are pistons tightly fitting the bore of the Whiffietree D on bothsides of its center and adapted to move inwardly and outwardly a shortdistance.

F are rods attached to the pistons E and projecting through theperforations d in the screw-caps D and the perforations cl2 in thekeepers D2.

In the center of the tubular whifiietree between the two pistons E isconfined a body of compressed air which tends to thrust both pistonswith their rods outwardly and consequently keeps the ends of the rodsnormally projecting from the ends ofthe whiffietree and engaging theperforated keepers. The ends of the tugs are confined on the projectingrods between the ends of the whiffletree and the keepers. Near the outerends of the Whiffietree are slots g.

G are lugs or thumb-pieces screwed into or otherwise attached to therods F and operating in the slots 4g for the double purpose of' limitingthe inward and outward movements of the rods and operating them againstthe action of the confined cushion'of compressed air. The inwardmovement of these thumbpieces will retract the projecting ends of therods F and release the tugs, and when released the compressed air willforce them to their normal positions.

For an automatically-releasing holdback I construct a device as follows:Il is a casting formed with a base-plate suitably perforated at its endsfor the reception of screws, a holdback-hook H', and a cylindricalportion The hook Il has a beveled edge 7i for the purpose presently tobe explained. The cylindrical portion I-I2 has a smooth central boreextending from end to end and provided with a screw-plug h2 at the endfarthest from the hook I-I. K is a piston snugly fitting the bore of thecylindrical portion H2 and having attached thereto by a rod or othermeans an inclined retaining-finger L, which is adapted to normally restagainst the beveled edge 7L of the holdback-hook. The hollow cylindricalportion between the screw-plug and the piston K is filled withcompressed air, which acts on said piston to keep the parts in properposition. 7a is a slot cut in the forward end of the cylinder, throughwhich operates a IOO thumb-piece 7c to actuate the linger-piece andpiston nagainst the action of the compressed air. One of these holdbacksis secured to each shaft. Under ordinary circumstances the rings of theholdback-straps are retained on the hooks Il by the inclined fingers L;but when the traces are released and the horse starts forward the ringswill ixnpinge against the inclined bearing-faces of the fingers L, whichwill force said fingers away from the holdback-hooks against the actionof the compressed air and thereby release said rings from the holdbacks.

The above construction of whiffletree and holdbaeks is sufficient forordinary use.

Vhen it is desired to employ the improvements as a safety device fordetaching a horse by the occupant of the vehicle,it is only necessary toprovide suitable means whereby the devices already described can beoperated from the vehicle. I prefer the following arrangement: To oneside of the center of the whiffletree D are secured side by side twometal bands or straps M, provided with antifriction rollers m. N and Nare cords or cables, one ot' which is attached to each of the lugs Gr,and then passed under the anti-friction rollers fm, and back to thevehicle, where it can be attached to any suitable operating device.

It is obvious that the principles of my invention could be readilyapplied to a doubletree by merely adding an additional pulley betweenthe two singletrees.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of the tubular whiiiietree, pistons in saidWhiffletree, rods carried by said pistons, and a confined body of airbetween said pistons, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the tubular whi'liietree with a smoothlongitudinal bore therethrough, pistons adapted to fit snugly in saidwhifiietree, rods carried by said pistons and adapted to engage the endsof the tugs, and a confined body of air between the pistons for keepingthe rods thrust outward, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination ot' the tubular whiiiietree, pistons in saidWhiffletree, rods carried by said pistons, a confined body of airbetween said pistons for thrusting the rods out- Ward, and means fordrawing the rods inward, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a tubular whiffletree, pistons in saidwhiffletree, rods for engaging the tugs and actuated by the pistons, aconfined body of air between the pistons, slots g in the whiffletree,andlugs G, attached to the rods, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a tubular whifiietree provided with piston-rodsand a confined body of air for the purpose set forth, with the thillsand an automatically operating holdback, substantially as herein setforth.

G. The combination ot a tubular whiffletree provided with rods andpistons, and a confined body ofl air for operating the rods with thethills, a holdback provided with a hook, a tubular portion, a pistoncarrying the retainingfinger, and a confined body of air for operatingthe finger, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In a holdback, the combination of the hook and cylindrical portion, apiston working` in said cylindrical portion, a retaininginger attachedto said piston, and a confined body of air, for the purpose set forth.

'ELIJAH HAYS. Witnesses:

A. G. Woon, F. E. Bowsnn..

